Casa Aether by AB+AC Architects: A Neurological Instrument in Lisbon

AB+AC Architects have completed Casa Aether, a 115-square-meter apartment in Lisbon's Anjos neighborhood, presented as an immersive open house during Lisbon Design Week 2026. The project treats architecture as an active emotional environment, using proportion, tactility, and color to regulate the body's physiological states. The bathroom is enveloped in saturated yellow tiles inspired by the solar plexus chakra, intended to activate and invigorate, while the master bedroom uses dark paneling and controlled light to induce stillness and retreat. Natural light is treated as a building material, activating surfaces differently throughout the day. Custom fiberglass Moon lighting by Portugal-based designers supports circadian rhythms. The apartment integrates works by Sebastião Lobo, 3TWINS, Frederico Oliveira Vaz, Studio Lilium, and Odara Studio, blurring boundaries between architecture, design, and art. AB+AC Architects position Casa Aether as a prototype for emotionally attuned urban living, distinct from wellness interiors by refusing aestheticized clichés. The project is part of a broader Portuguese architectural conversation about spatial perception, alongside studios like atelier RUA.